Areas of study in the doctor of philosophy program include: building mechanical systems engineering, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, and water resources engineering.
Minimum of 42 hours of coursework beyond the baccalaureate, 36 hours of which must be 5000-level (graduate-level) courses or the equivalent, and concentrated independent research leading to an acceptable dissertation.
In addition to expertise in the specific dissertat ion topic, the candidate must demonstrate competence in two or more research areas that will help to insure a high-quality dissertation acceptable to the student’s graduate committee.
Subject to department and university requirements, the student’s coursework is arranged by consultation between the student, his or her adviser, and his or her committee, and must also be approved by the CEGS and by the department head.
Coursework is defined in a program of study that should be filed by the end of the second semester of the Ph.D. program.
At a time near the completion of formal coursework, the student is required to take and pass a preliminary examination on the Ph.D. coursework and, as a part of the examination, is required to present a written and oral dissertation proposal to his or her committee for approval.
Finally, the student must demonstrate research competence in an oral defense of the dissertation and must submit an acceptable written version of the dissertation to his or her graduate committee in a timely manner to meet deadlines. In addition, the student is to meet the minimum requirements set forth in this bulletin.